Pro 10:14 | NETfull | STEP | Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction.

Proverbs 10:14

14 Those who are wise ^{▼▼ Heb “wise men.”} store up ^{▼▼ The verb צָפַן (tsafan, “to store up; to treasure”) may mean (1) the wise acquire and do not lose wisdom (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV), or (2) they do not tell all that they know (cf. NCV), that is, they treasure it up for a time when they will need it. The fool, by contrast, talks without thinking.} knowledge,
but foolish speech ^{▼▼ Heb “the mouth of foolishness”; cf. NRSV, NLT “the babbling of a fool.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech. The genitive אֶוִיל (’evil, “foolishness”) functions as an attributive adjective: “a foolish mouth” = foolish speech.} leads to imminent ^{▼▼ Heb “near destruction.” The words of the fool that are uttered without wise forethought may invite imminent ruin (e.g., James 3:13–18). See also Ptah-hotep and Amenemope in ANET 414 and 423.} destruction.